The Cherokee Central Schools 8th Grade and High School Concert Band earned an Excellent Rating at the Trills and Thrills Music Festival held at William Blount High School in Alcoa, Tenn. on Saturday, April 25. They are shown, left to right, back row – Michael Driver, Andyn Pheasant, Boyd Taylor, Cayden Grimes, Dagan Conway, Darian Oocumma, Galvin Reed, Timothy Daza; front row – Ernest Pheasant, Kale Crowe, Kendryk Crowe-Jackson, Tsalagi Brady, Jaymsey Armachain, Katielynn Taylor, Laila George, Preeya Oocumma, and William Lossiah-Henderson. (Photo courtesy of Cherokee Central Schools)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
The Cherokee Central Schools 8th Grade and High School Concert Band earned an Excellent Rating at the Trills and Thrills Music Festival held at William Blount High School in Alcoa, Tenn. on Saturday, April 25.
Sarah Hopkins, Cherokee Central Schools band director, commented, “I was immensely proud of the hard work that they had put into earning their ratings. Most of them were nervous, as one is when doing something new for the first time, but they put everything they had into that performance and that’s all a teacher can ever hope for.”
The Band earned the Excellent Rating which is the second top tier of five which includes: Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor. The Excellent Rating denotes “an unusually high level of performance but not quite deserving of the highest rating due to minor defects or a lack of polish/finesse”.
The group played two selections – “Rain” by Brian Balmages and “Lightning” by Todd Stalter.
The following students competed in the festival: Jaymsey Armachain – Flute, Mathias Arneach – Flute, Preeya Oocumma – Clarinet, Andyn Pheasant – Clarinet, Dagan Conway – Trumpet, Boyd Taylor – Trumpet, Darian Oocumma – Alto Saxophone, Katielynn Taylor – Alto Saxophone, Cayden Grimes – Baritone, Kendryk Crowe-Jackson – Baritone, Tsalagi Brady – Tuba, Michael Driver – Percussion, William Lossiah-Henderson – Percussion, Laila George – Percussion, Galvin Reed – Percussion, Ernest Pheasant – Percussion, and Kale Crowe – Percussion.
Hopkins commented, “This group has come a long way. I’ve had the privilege of watching them refine their musical abilities while also growing in their ability to work together as a cohesive band. They’ve truly begun to understand that in a small ensemble like ours, success depends on everyone stepping up and playing their part. Every member matters. It has been an honor to see them support one another, grow together, and continually push each other to be the best they can be.”
